Apparatus for decrating eggs



Oct. 29, 1946. W. G. HOWARD 2,41%,263

APPARATUS FOR DECRATINGEGGS Filed June 28, l944 2 Sheets-Sheet l @i-29,i946. WGH'O'WARD "www APPARATUS FOR DECRATING EGGS Filed June 28, 1944'2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i/@g @3. 54, jf J4' 35 iff 3i 4' IN V EN TOR. .s 6?.f7/0MM@ Patented Oct. 29, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,410,163APPARATUS Foa DECRATING :Esos

Willis G. Howard, jlndianapolis, Ind.

Application .lune 28, 1944, Serial No. 542,5;'26

4 claims.

It has long been well known that by immersing fresh eggs, such as heneggs. 'ina heal/@d bat-11 0f suitab-le oil, deterioration of the eggsmay be inhibited for a considerable periody and various .mechanisms havebeenrprcvided vfor accomplishingthe desired treatment, such, forinstance, as the mechanisms shown in my rPatents Nos. 1,862,508,1,960,339, and 1,988,795; and Patent No. 1,883,669 to B. E. Ford. v

Eggsarrive at a treating plant packed in boxes or crates in vvgroups ofthree dozen supported by .apocketed base mat and separated by aso-called fillen 'a Ycollapsible structure of two series of 4parallelwalls or partitions, one series being posi tionable at right angles tothe other series to form thirty-six cells, one for each of the thirtysixeggs-of a group.

.In mechanisms of the above-mentioned type, a plurality of cellularmetal Ytrays are provided for receiving egg groups and carrying them to,through, and .frorn,.the immersing bath,land it is necessary to transferthe egg groups from the shipping crates to such `trays, to separate thellers and base mats, to reassemble the fillers and base .mats with thetreated eggs and to remove the cellular trays.

vThe cost of such handling and preservative treatment .ci the eggs must,of course, be included inthe consumeroprice of .the eggs .and it istherefore highly important that said treatment cost shall be as low aspossible.

The object of my present invention is to provide improved means by whichegg-packed crates may be quickly removed from the eggs and associatellers and mats and the egg-groups so presented to the feeding operatorof a treating machine they may be quickly and safely transferred to theinverting mechanism of the machine without loss of time and withoutbreakage.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my nvention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a treating machine, of the type mentioned,with my improved decrating mechanism in place; v

Fig. 2 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 isa perspective view of my improved decrating mechanism;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the mechanism;

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective diagrams, on a smaller scale, illustratingintermediate steps in the de'crating operation;

Fig. 7 visa perspective view oi a, modiiied `form of follow board; and

Fig. 8 is a .modified form of bottom board.

In the drawings A indicates an egg-.group inverting mea-ns, .B a runway,for said egg groups, inclinedV downwardly to an immersion tank C fromwhich ,leads ail-downwardly .inclined runway D delivering to a trayreverting means E, all subtended .by suitable drainage pans and by arunway R leading from the delivery end of means E to a point adjacentthe receiving end of means A, said parts being, kin general, likesimilar parts inmy previously mentioned patents.

` Adjacent the receiving end of the `inverting means A is the decratingmeans G which contributes materially to speed up the operation of theapparatusconsidered as a whole.

Means G comprises a main frame or .table 3] upon which is pivoted, at30', `the turntablel upon which are erected two pairs of standards32-32- The table 3l comprises radiating arms vll carrying rollers 3lwhich rest and roll yupon the top of table 3Q. Pivotally Asupported oneach standard 32 by a :horizontal trunnion pin 33 is a vertical plateil, to two opposite edges of which are hinged the vertical arms of:L-shaped supplements `35-35, leach 'provided at one end with a bracewall 35 -a plane at right angles to the twofarmsof their. The axes of.the -hingesI-ll are substantially in line with the vertical arms ofsupplement 35 so that weight may be imposed on thehorizontal armswithout `causing substantial outward jswinging-of :the supplements.

One edge of each plate v3ft., normal to the two edges to which.supplements t5 are hinged, is provided with an inwardly projecting lip34', the two lips of a plate pair bracing the two arms of thesupplement.

, The trunnion pins 33 of two plates 35-35 are aligned and the plates.3d-axially spaced a distance slightly greater than the length of astandard egg ycrate 3l so that an operator at X (Fig. 2) may place anopen-topped vfilled crate therebetween andsupported vby the `free armsof the Ls braced by walls 3E, the upper Ls k35 having been swungoutwardly, as shown in Fig. 3. Thereupon the depending plates 38,138carried by `follow-board 39 are inserted into the crate between the sidewalls thereof and the stacks of egg-filled fillers F until board 39rests ,upon said stacks. The outwardly swung upper Ls 35 are then swungover follow-board 39 and the plates 34 rotated to bring the crate 31bottom up. The then upper L?s 35 are swung loutwardly the -crate is thenremoved upwardly and a bottom board @il laid on the egg-lled stacks voffillers. The uppermost Ls are swung back to bring their free .arms overthe ends of board -453 and plates 3f! swing back through 180. The thenuppermost Ls are swung outwardly and board 39, with its dep-endingplates, withdrawn upwardly. Thereupon turntable 3l is rotated 180 on itsvertical axis 33 so that the egg-lled fillers and supporting mats areeasily successively accessible by the operator standing at Y (Fig. 2).

It will be noted that the operator at point Y has presented to himfreely accessible egg-filled fillers F, each with a subjacent mat M sothat he may quickly and safely transfer the unit-iiller, eggs andsubjacent matto the inverting mechanism A.

One of each pair of standards 32 is provided with stop lingers 4|, 4|and the adjacent plate 34 is provided with appropriately placed stoppins 42, 42 which coact with ngers 4l, 4| to limit the oscillatorymovements of plates 34.

The' above-described mechanism contributes very materially to the speedand safety with which egg groups may be transferred from the shippingcrates to the treating machine and thus reduces the cost of treatment.

Each standard 32 is provided with a roller 32' which will be engaged bythe L-shaped supplements, as plate 34 is swung on its trunnion so as tohold said L-shaped supplements in weightsustaining position.

If the operator should fail to swing the L- shaped supplements 35 backto position where their free arms overlie the egg groups and crates,said supplements will come into engagement with the supports 32, at 32'as the plates 34 are swung on their trunnions, and be therebyautomatically properly positioned.

Recently eggs are being packed in cartons made of corrugated paper andsome difficulty has been experienced because of the tendency of thellers to hang on the exposed edges of the internal flaps of the carton.

In order to overcome this difculty, I provide, primarily for use inconnection with such paper cartons, the modified follow board shown inFig. '7. Here the board 5E has a length slightly less than the internallength of the carton and a width slightly less than the width of thecarton. At each end, board 53 is provided with a downturned wall 5|which, at each of its vertical edges, is provided with an inturnedtongue 52, which, for the major portion of its length, as indicated at52', has a vertical height considerably less than the vertical extent ofwall 5|, said wall 5| having a vertical extent substantially equal tothe depth of the carton.

lIhe tongues 52 have a length slightly less than one-half the internallengthof the carton, i. e., something less than the horizontal dimensionof the filler.

The vertical dimension of the parts 52 of tongues 52 is preferablyslightly greater than the vertical dimension of a filler so that saidtongue will ank the two lowermost egg groups when the follow board isinserted in a illed carton and consequently will liank the two uppermostegg groups after the carton has been inverted.

The vertical spacing of parts 52 from the follow board makes it possiblefor the operator to reach through so as to manipulate the free ends ofthe tongues for entry into the carton anking the egg group and theirllers.

Eggs are supposed to be crated, big end up. In many instances, thedecrating of eggs discloses broken ller walls, especially the outerbound- 'ing walls, so that the eggs in the broken filler cell are likelyto fall out when an egg group is being transferred from crate to tray. iIf the decrating mechanism, described above, is operated so that thecrate is inverted and then reverted, removal of the follow board 39 andaccompanying depending plates 38 will thus alford an opportunity foreggs in broken outside filler cells to fall out.

If an operator finds a considerable number of broken filler walls in aconsignment which is being handled, he will merely invert the crate andwithdraw the crate, leaving the egg groups in their fillers lyingbetween the plates 33 which are then upstanding. The egg groups may thenbe extracted upwardly from between the upstanding plates 38 and, as eachegg group is exposed, the operator may readily notice whether there arebroken outside iiller walls and may guard against eggs dropping out byproper placing of his hands.

Under some conditions, it is desirable that the eggs be placed in thetrays small end up, and if that is desired, the egg groups will beextracted from the decrater following inversion of the decrater insteadof following reversion of the decrater.

Adjacent edges of plates 38 are cut away as shown at 33 so that theoperator may more readily look through to the opposite plates in caseany diiiculty is experienced in injecting these plates downwardly intoan egg crate alongside of the egg group station.

Recently, egg producers have been packing eggs, in conjunction with theusual fillers, in fiber boxes which are smooth inside and from which theegg groups, with some dilliculty, may be lifted. In some instances, dueto rough handling, the outer walls of the 'lllers become ruptured andwhen such a container is handled in my present apparatus, there is apossibility that a partially ruptured filler wall may be furtherruptured so that, when the egg groups are exposed, upon reversion, theeggs in cells with outside ruptured walls may drop out and become lost.

In order to take care of this situation, I provide, instead of a bottomboard 40, a bottom board 453, provided with upstanding wire mesh walls45H so spaced that they may be sleeved over the plates 38 and betweenplates 34, 34 so that, when eggs, so packed, have been inverted andreverted, in the manner described, the two stacks of eggfilled llers andassociate mats will be encased between the wire mesh walls. The operatorthen may readily observe, as he removes one egg group after another, anyruptured filler walls and, by proper manipulation of his hands, preventthe eggs in ruptured cells from dropping away from the group as heremoves it from the stack.

I claim as my invention:

1. Means for decrating eggs, comprising a vertical axis turn table, twoparallel pairs of vertical plates journalled on said table on horizontalaxes normal t0 and medially of said plates with the plates of each pairspaced apart a distance slightly greater than one horizontal dimensionof a standard egg crate, each of said plates being provided with twol.-shaped supplements with their vertical-arm extremities hinged toopposite edges of a plate and their horizontal arms directed toward acompanion plate and also provided with a lip at one edge normal to thehinged axes and projecting toward a companion plate, means obstructingoutward movement of said supplements when in their lower positions, afollow-board havingiskirts depending from two opposite sides and sospaced and dimensionedfthat they may be inserted into an egg cratealongside egg groups packed therein, said follow-board being dimensionedto lie upon and extend between the horizontal arms of the L-supplementsof a pair of said end plates and support the stacks of egg groups, and abottom board dimension-ed tolie upon and extend between said horizontalarms of the L-supplements and support the egg groups from which a cratehas been withdrawn.

2. Means for decrating eggs, comprising a vertical axis turntable, apair of vertical plates journalled on said table on a common horizontalaxis and spaced apart a distance slightly greater than one horizontaldimension of a standard egg crate, each of said plates being providedwith two L-shaped supplements with their verticalarrn extremities hingedto opposite edges of a plate and their horizontal arms directed towardthe other plate and also provided with a lip at one edge normal to thehinge axes and projecting toward the companion plate, means obstructingoutward movement of said supplements when in their lower positions, afollow-board having skirts depending from two opposite sidesand sospaced and dimensioned that they may be inserted into an egg cratealongside egg groups packed therein, said follow-board being dimensionedto lie upon and extend between the horizontal arms of the platesupplements and support the stacks of egg groups, and a bottom boarddimensioned to lie upon and extend between said horizontal arms of theplate supplements and support the egg groups from which a crate has beenwithdrawn.

3. Decrating means comprising a plate having a horizontal trunnion, andtwo L-shaped supplements for said plate, said supplements being hingedat the free ends of their vertical arms to opposite parallel edges' ofthe plate and with their horizontal arms projecting in the samedirection relative to the plane of the plate.

4. Decrating means comprising a plate having a horizontal trunnion, twoL-shaped supplements for said plate, said supplements being hinged atthe free ends of their Vertical arms to opposite parallel edges of theplate and with their horizontal arms projecting in the same directionrelative to the plane of the plate, and a journal support for saidtrunnion arranged to flank said plate and be engaged by said L-shapedsupplements when said supplements are in their lowermost positions, toswing the hinged arms of vsaid supplements toward the plane of the plateand oppose swing in the opposite direction.

WILLIS G. HOWARD.

